Goonersworld

Massa wrote:Think how brilliant it would be with van Persie and Fabregas starting
I don't care about potential snag etc. He has trained fully and has only missed 1 game (which he would've played), something must be going on behind the scenes.
Either way I want to see RvP from the off.

GunnGunn wrote:I think its ridiculous how quickly he has recovered...

Its been what, a week? And he has already had a full training session.

He has to start.

Massa wrote:Think how brilliant it would be with van Persie and Fabregas starting
I don't care about potential snag etc. He has trained fully and has only missed 1 game (which he would've played), something must be going on behind the scenes.
Either way I want to see RvP from the off.

ChVint22 wrote:

GunnGunn wrote:I think its ridiculous how quickly he has recovered...

Its been what, a week? And he has already had a full training session.

He has to start.

I thinking it wasn't as serious as AW wanted everyone to believe.

Artillero wrote:

ChVint22 wrote:

GunnGunn wrote:I think its ridiculous how quickly he has recovered...

Its been what, a week? And he has already had a full training session.

He has to start.

I thinking it wasn't as serious as AW wanted everyone to believe.

Wenger... using mind games?

I'm... I'm... I'm so proud of him! Our little boy is growing up!

Massa wrote:Think how brilliant it would be with van Persie and Fabregas starting
I don't care about potential snag etc. He has trained fully and has only missed 1 game (which he would've played), something must be going on behind the scenes.
Either way I want to see RvP from the off.

Wenger - I am very bad at mind games


By Richard Clarke in Barcelona

Arsène Wenger has refuted suggestions that he was playing “mind games” by including Robin van Persie so late in his squad for the game at Barcelona.

The Arsenal manager made no mention of the Dutchman’s involvement when he spoke to the media before training on Monday morning. However, a few hours later, the striker was named as the 19th man in the party.

It transpired that Van Persie wanted to have a fitness test during training that day and came through OK. He faces another examination on the morning of the Champions League Knockout Round second leg tie at the Nou Camp and remains very much touch-and-go to feature. However Wenger says he was not dealing in disinformation.

“I am very bad at mind games,” said Wenger at the UEFA press conference on Monday evening. “The whole truth is what I have given you here. We’ll see tomorrow morning. The medical team will assess him and I would like him to play. But I will only play him if he is 100 per cent fit. OK, I will consider 99.5.”

Wenger omitted Cesc Fabregas from his side at the Carling Cup Final eight days ago when he was struggling to return. However the manager outlined why the circumstances are different with the Van Persie.

“For me these are two problems,” he said. “Cesc had a muscle problem. Robin has a ligament problem. There is more risk for a muscle problem. So it is just whether he feels he is fit to play. There is not the same risk of recurrence like there is with a muscular problem.”

Wenger - Why Van Persie was a late call up


By Giuseppe Muro

Arsène Wenger has shed light on Robin van Persie’s surprise possible inclusion in the squad for Tuesday’s game against Barcelona.

The Dutch striker was a late call up to the 19-man travelling party that touched down in Spain on Monday ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League last-16 second leg.

Van Persie had been expected to miss the game with the knee injury he picked up in the act of scoring Arsenal’s equaliser in the Carling Cup Final on February 27. Indeed, Wenger had penciled the 27-year-old in to return for the Premier League fixture against Blackburn - four weeks away.

Now Van Persie has made the trip to Barcelona the manager insists he isn’t there to make up the numbers, but says he is undecided as to whether he will feature.

“He is here as a player,” said Wenger. “He will have a possible test tomorrow.

“We are 19 here in the squad. Whether Van Persie will be included has not been decided yet.

“He has made quick progress in the last three days. When I spoke [with him] this [Monday] morning he was really unlikely to travel. [But] he wanted to have a go.

“We made a test and it was quite positive. We will see how he responds to that and I will make a decision tomorrow [Tuesday] morning.

“We will not take a gamble in a game of that importance. So he will have to be fit or not fit.”